Mountain Bike Touring

[snowtulip]

Hi Everyone,
I've read everyone's great touring advice, read Denise's great journals, been to every website I could find, but still looking for more information and advice.

Most of the mountain bike touring info. deals with the Great Divide, which provides good info., but not a lot on singletrack riding, remote riding.

I'm doing the Colorado Trail in July (four weeks) and most of the time I'll be on singletrack, so does the BOB trailer work great on singletrack (most offroad info is about jeep roads and double track)?

Anyone have additional words of wisdom. I'm also hoping I can deal with the altitude :eek: . I'm so excited and so nervous!

Thanks for the help!!!!! :D

[mtnbikenmama]

I would think the BoB trailer would pose a challenge on switch backs and tight turns, have you tried MTBR perhaps the endurance riding forum?
donna

[DeniseGoldberg]

I just did some wandering around on crazyguyonabike (http://www.crazyguyonabike.com) to see if I could find any folks mixing mountain biking and touring. You might want to check out Christian Bomio's journal http://azoNZo.crazyguyonabike.com titled azoNZo - Mountain Biking New Zealand. It looks like much of his serious mountain biking was day rides, as in without carrying gear - but he also used his bike as his means of transportation. It might be worth signing his guestbook to ask him if he mixed single-track and touring (as in did the single-track with the panniers on his bike). Click here (http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/journal/page/?o=ao&page_id=16601&v=1eu) for a view of his loaded bike.

[Irulan]

There's a guy named Pete Jone who does a lot of this kind of thing, Asia, Africa, US.
http://www.offroadadventures-online.com/light_touring.htm

From his reports, I think what he does is most of his bob hauling on double track, and then sets up his base camp for singletrack adventures.

MTBR discussion will be a good resource for you, try the colorado forum.

Irulan

[snowtulip]

Thanks for the info. We'll only be coming across a few towns and some campgrounds, the rest of the time we are in the mountains and self supported (we'll be doing food drops ahead of time). Hubby is taking a BOB, but he is a downhill, trials, mountain bike wonder and seems to have little difficulty on switchbacks, technical sections. I also have skills, but not like him. If I take panniers, that's a whole new experience. Everyone recommends the BOB for offroad because of it's ease in maintaining control on your bike. I'm going to start trying the BOB or panniers next month, just hate to make a pannier purchase.

I know I'm probably over thinking, this is my first trip like this. I'll keep reading and reading, and oh yah, I also need to ride.

Thanks!

[DeniseGoldberg]

Everyone recommends the BOB for offroad because of it's ease in maintaining control on your bike. I'm going to start trying the BOB or panniers next month, just hate to make a pannier purchase.


Although my touring is all on the road - and I know what you're planning is very different - my personal preference is for a trailer. The bike feels very different when it is loaded down with panniers...

[snowtulip]

I've made the purchase! I tried the BOB and could not handle it on the singletrack switchbacks and technical rock gardens, but hubby can! So I just recieved my panniers in the mail yesterday and plan to ride them tomorrow.
Next hurdle it increasing my fitness! I'm working full-time and going to school full-time so I haven't really been training much. I'll have to kick it into full gear! I might have to cut back on mtb. rides and do some road to help in that area.

As always, thanks for all the advice and great links! I'm hoping to post on crazyguywithbike when it gets closer.

Enjoy!

[CorsairMac]

call me if you want to do either!!!

Corsair "always up for a ride!" Mac